West U21A Hurling Quarter Final
Cappawhite Gaels 1-12
Knockavilla Kickhams 1-9
By Tipperary Live
The last of the West Quarter finals took place in Cappawhite on a bright and close Sunday morning. The game was changed to Cappawhite on Saturday following a pitch inspection in Dundrum.
Normally when you hear of a game with six red cards you’d think of a fractious encounter but this was anything but. Five of those cards came in the last ten seconds of the game following an altercation on the Cappawhite Gaels 21-yard line much to the disbelief of both sides and the sizable crowd in attendance. The disbelief was compounded on the Kickhams side when on the resumption the game was called to a halt before the ball hit the ground on the resulting throw-in.
The Cappawhite Gaels were quickest out of the blocks and Sam Carmody opened the scoring with a fine point from the stand side off his left, this was quickly followed up by a Mikey Carmody free and the lively Neil Clancy chipped in with a point. Orrin Jones eventually got Kickhams on the board and Stephen Browne followed up with his first as Kickhams worked their way back into the game. Sam Carmody restored the three-point advantage before Daire Duggan stole in past the defence and cracked a great goal for the combo on 16 minutes. It would be the pivotal score of the game by the full-time whistle. The final 15 minutes of the first half belonged to Kickhams who would score four unanswered points through Stephen Browne(3 frees) and a delightful effort from midfielder Jamie Duncan. Despite their period of dominance Kickhams would go in at the break down a point and will rue the six wides in the last ten minutes of the half.
Cappawhite Gaels playing with what little wind was on offer opened the second half like they started the first and had three points on the board through Tristan Stokes, James Quinlan, and a resurgent Pakie Barry who was moved into the forwards from half back during the interval. Orrin Jones scored a good long-range point to keep Kickhams within touching distance but their shooting was letting them down time and time again as it looked like they might make a run wides seemed to suck the life out of them. Stephen Browne and James Quinlan (2) exchanged frees and the game was finely poised 1-9 to 0-8 with 15 to play. Conor Martin, quiet up to now, sprung into life for the Gaels and scored two points in a minute to push the lead out to six, Browne again from a free kept Kickhams in it before a poor puckout from the Cappa keeper was intercepted and a high delivery from the sideline was batted to the net by corner forward Cormac Carr to leave two points in it. This would turn out to be Kickham’s final score however and were reduced to fourteen men around this time following words between a player and the referee. Kickhams had two more wides from frees in the final minutes before Conor Martin now operating on the ’40 scored his third and Cappawhite Gales final score. Kickhams were chasing a goal at this stage but never looked like getting it. A final last-ditch effort saw Stephen Browne lob the ball into the ’21. The resulting skirmish saw both teams receive the red cards that ended the game.
While Kickhams will rue the wides, especially from frees, Cappawhite Gaels just about shaded the encounter over the hour. They were tight at the back with Ben White at full-back to the fore, Gearoid Ryan had his moments at six while Tommy Costello put in a workmanlike performance in the middle of the field. Conor Martin, when moved to centre forward, was the pick of the Cappa forwards while Stephen Dee and Tristan Stokes had their moments. Daire Duggan looked lively and took his goal well. For Kickhams, Ben Loughman had a good first half but struggled with Martin towards the end of the game, Jack Breen couldn’t be faulted for the goal and his puckouts were excellent. Adam Daly had moments in midfield while Orrin Jones and Stephen Browne were the pick of the forwards.
Cappawhite Gaels now must look ahead to a semi-final with Golden/Kilfeacle who accounted for Arravale Rovers in their quarter-final a week ago. The winners will meet Clonoulty/Rossmore in the final.
Cappawhite Gaels: Anthony Barry; Mikey O’Brien, Ben White, Cian O’Carroll; Pakie Barry (0-1), Gearoid Ryan, James Quinlan (0-3f); Tommy Costello, Conor Martin (0-3, 0-1f); Sam Carmody (0-2), Stephen Dee, Mikey Carmody (0-1f); Neil Clancy (0-1), Daire Duggan (1-0), Sean Cleary.
Subs: Tristan Stokes (0-1); Conor Gantley; Brian Buckley; Caoimhin Doody; J O’Neill; J O’Donnell; Michael English; T O’Mahony; J Armshaw, Patrick Horan.
Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams: Jack Breen; Diarmuid Carr, Aidan Duggan, Shane Buckley; Ben Loughman, Brian Furlong, Jamie Duncan (0-1); Adam Daly, Sean Cannon; Stephen Browne (0-6, 0-5f), Michael Gleeson, Orrin Jones (0-2); Conor Farrell, Cormac Carr (1-0). Subs – Darren Kennedy, Diarmuid Buckley, Liam Hayes, Philip O’Neill, Joseph O’Dwyer, Diarmuid Kinnane.
Referee: David Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs)
Click below to view match photos:
Match Photos by Vincent Flynn Photography.
The Cappa lads get on with their pre-match preparation.
